Troy University Athletics
US Import, Muse, Eyes Career in WNBL
4/29/2009 2:45:00 PM | Basketball (W)
by BRADLEY GREEN
Geelong Advertiser (Australia)
It's not uncommon for Australian basketball teams to bring over American imports on an annual basis. It happens with clubs in Australia's top competition, the NBL, and carries on right through the ranks.
Imports have been a fixture for the Geelong Supercats squads during its dominance of the SEABL competition. But, Basketball Geelong has preferred to focus on developing the good local players in it's Big V Conference teams and it has paid dividends with the men's side one of the leading division one clubs in recent seasons.
Club president Frank Morrissy discovered the talents of Audrey Muse while on a visit to the States to watch his daughter, Kylie Morrissy, playing with Troy University. The 181cm forward was only to happy to accept the invitation to come to Geelong and offer the young Lady Cats the benefit of her experience and knowledge of the game to complement the work being done by coach Darren Busuttil.
Muse arrived in Australia last week and made a solid debut for the Lady Cats in their 85-47 loss to Hume City at Broadmeadows on Saturday night, scoring a team-high 13 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
The 24-year-old comes to Geelong with an impressIve high school and college basketball resume. She grew up in the Florida capital of Jacksonville, and was a first team All-State performer as a junior and senior for the University Christian High School team. She led the team to the last four of their five straight district titles and received the Offensive Player of the Year Award in both her junior and senior seasons.
After being accepted to Troy University in Alabama, Muse immediately became a key part of the Trojans' women's side. After graduating, Muse spent a season as an assistant coach with the team.
She said college basketball in America is some of the toughest and most competitive she's played in her career.
'"The league that I played in, the Sun Belt Conference, is ranked eighth out of 30-somethlng leagues. So you need to have the heart and desire to play there," Muse said. "It's a very intense game over there. I really learned a lot there (Troy) and I'm really appreciative of the coaching staff for everything that I learned. I had a good career."
Another of Muse's teammates at Troy was Amy Lewis, another country Victoria product who was asked to try-out at a couple of WNBA clubs after she graduated from college. Lewis returned to Australia to play tn the WNBL last season with Townsville and is now suiting up in the SEABL women's competition with the Ballarat Lady Miners.
Muse, who will also work as a development officer with Basketball Geelong during her stay, hopes the stint with the Lady Cats will allow her to follow her good friend into the national women's competition.
"I'd love to advance and further my career," she said.
